Nut-cracking machine



C. B. EATON.

NUT CRACKING MACHiNE- APPLXCATION FILED MAYH, 1921.

Patented Main 7, 1922.

MQ W.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

wwz-Wrw 577% HTTdfi/Yf)" C. B. EATON.

NUT CRACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION nuzo MAY 11, 1921.

1,408,697. Patent d Mar- 7, 1922.

OOOOUOUOU It? 7 a m Zgavmgo/e A TTORNE Y C. B. EATON.

NUT CRACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYH. 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

, U NiTEn sTA-TE s, I

ermnnns B; EATON, or ST. LOUIS, MIssoImI;

nuncmcxms Mean-ma a lication filed, may 11,

To all ujlmm itmag 001mm combination with a suitable feeding mecha-' I to Be it kno wn that I, GHAI LEs B; Ehrom a c t zen of the United States, residing in the city otSt. Louis and State of lV[issouri,have

, invented new and usefnl Improvements in.

Nut-Cnacking Hachinemof which the folilowing is a specificatioin;reference being had tothe accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to improvements in; nut cracking mechanismsfand the main ob ject is to provide an automatic mechanism of this character, having self adjusting cracking jaws and other automatic features, and to which the nuts are fedby any suitable feeding mechanism, such as a feedbelt mowing over pulleys and. running through a hopper containing the nuts to be cracked...

In the drawings: Figure I is a right side elevation ofxa machine embodyingthis cracking mechanism in nlsm.

Figure 2 is a left side elevation ofthe nut. cracking elements only. V y

' Figure 3 is front elevation.

Figure 4: is a vertical sectional dctail Of'the nut cracking mechanism.

Figure 5' is a detail of the rearcanr located immediately back ofthe frontcam shown in. Figure 2. I

Figure 6 is a, horizonta1 sectional View of thenut cracking mechanism.

Figure 7 is a. top plan'view of the entire machine.

Figure 8 is a detail of a belt sprocket and 7 operating mechanism which may be em ployed to intermittently move the beltand nuts forwardly to the cracking mechanism. It is understood that the inventionherein embodied isbasedi primarily upon the nutcracking mechanism, the feeding mechanismbeing included only in broad combination; and the right is reserved tov file. a separate application based upon the feeding mechanism.

The workingfparts of the machine as a whole are supported, by a frame including the main uprights '1 and 9, thecrOSsban 3, and extensions and, braces. Upon the lower portion of the uprights l and 2 is mounted the horizontal drive shaft l, same being journaledlin suitablebearings at 5, and this shaft supplies the power for operating the machine.

The nut oracking mechanism constituting and so,as to slide; freely therein.

hmification-q Letten lletent; Patented 7',

this. invention consists, in combination. with a cooperating"nutsdelivering shuttleand a} nut holder t'o -be laterdescribed, of'a pair of reciprocating, self adjusting pick-up jaws 6, horizontally and 'slid'ingly mountedf'ini guide ways 7 located in the upper'portion of the frame, and working in-conjunction" with a complementary pair of reciprocatingcnaoliing jawsS, oppositely mounted in the guide ways 9 and in alignment with the pickjaws 6, The function of the, pick-up jaws is to adjust nuts of" varying sizes'orl lengths against theendsofthe cracking-jaws, beforegthe latter are opera-ted to- CI'iLCktllQ nuts, and the mechanism controlling these two setsbfjawswill be now explained. The

shanks 1-0 of the pick-upjaws 6* areeX- tended out, and cam mortises 11 are cut in the outer, side faces of each shank, said" mortises being inclined outwardly from the top'sides to the bottomsidesof the shanks.

Adjacentthese mortises' vertical drop bars 12 are slidingly mounted, through guide-w ays 13, and these drop bars-have cam-plates. 14s bolted" thereon, said'plates being'cut obliquely and, complementary to the cam mortises ll 3 The action ofthe plates 14 in the inortises-ll is to move the pick-up jaws 6 inwardly and" outwardly; alternately,as the drop b'airsllQmove up and down. At the lower ends of the drop bars l2;rollers 15 are journaled on stub shafts 16 mounted on the outer lateral facesof said drop barsyand these rollers a're adapted to trayeltlie peripheries of thehtwo identical master cams 1%.,1wh1ch are spaced apart and mounted atthe forward end; 'ofthe drive shaft 45,; one at each side of the bearing 5. The cams 17, are in form somewhat greater than half circles, the truncatedsides being rounded. off-at the corners18-1 9 and curved inwardly at thecenters 20, to facilitatethe travelioftherollers 1'5. The cams 17 areto rotate clockwise, regarding the machine from, the; front, and their action't-hen, is to first raise. the drop, bars 12 over the shou'l-' ders 18,, andj then to drop them with relative, suddenness from the shoulders 19 to, the centers 20; and the resultant action of the cam plates 14' playing. in the cam mortises 11 is, to first draw the pickup jaws 6 outwandly as the drop bars 12 rise, and then drive them suddenly inwarclly as the bars fall; andfas the pick-up j aws"6i'move inwardly they, press the nut-s23 snugly up 1] pleted.

against theopposed ends of "the cracking jaws 8, as before stated. A degree of lateral play is allowed the upper endseither-drop bars 12 in passing through their guide-ways 13, and racks of teeth 21 are formed on the outer edges of the upper ends of these bars 12, and stop-hits 22 are mounted at the tops of the guide-ways l3 and adaptedto locks ingly engage said racks'21 when saidbars 12' are pressed outwardly a's occurs; when the cracking jaws "are forced inwardly against,

the nuts; and thu s'the ice-t ase; locked until a the cracking process -1 com he ten a hie' i ipr w ly e t d lw rieutl ziwi l 9 as stated, is to cooperate the al gned pickup jaws and. exert avcracking pressure shattsBl mounted on the immerseswe ev cams117, atg-p oints spaced from the shoulders upon the nuts positionedflcetween the pick up jaws and-the cracking after. pick-up jaws, have first pressedthe nuts up against the cracking jaws in i a ner,,c1e;.

scribed. shanks 2 tfoifjthe jaws 8 extendout adjacent a stopQ-plate mounted on the frame, and adjustment screws 26 arepas s ed th p t ya fid their inner ends': adapted to approach the ex tremities of the shanks 24:, and thus'the H degree of travel of saidshanks andattachd 30 cracking jaws may be readily regulated. The, shanks 24 of. the craeking jaws 8 are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the cracking levers 27 by means of set: screws 28 passed loosely, throughthe leverfends and into the outer, side faces ot said shanksjZL The cracking levers 27 are pivoted to the frame by means of bolts 29 passed loosely through; the levers at points space d slightly below the upper ends of said levers. The lower ends of said craeklng levels '27; ex

tenddownwardly and are inclined inwardly,

across the adj acent inner faces of sem ster cams; 17 Rollers "30 journaled, on stub 19; and near the peripheries o fsaid cams so located and adjustedjas to iinping lower,;endsoi the cracking levers 27, as the cams 5 1,7 rotate clockwise, and press said lever, lends outwardly just enough to move the cracking jaws 8 inwardlysufiicie t'. to

crack the nuts. 23h'raced against the-opposed ends of the pick-up jaws 6', Owing to the peculiar; form. 'bf the cams 1T, I'wh-ileI the cracking levers 27 and aws 8 are being op;

erated'by the f rollers 30 thefrollersj 15 of ders18,1thu sagain elevating 'the dro'pj bars 12 for a repetition of the cracking process,

and retractile springs 4 distended between the pins &3 and 45 on the frame and levers respectively act to return said levers to their original position.

Thei mechanism for delivering the nuts two at a time, and for'holding them while being cracked, will now be described. Immediately under. the adjacent ends of the picleupjaws and the cracking jaws as described, is mounted a reciprocating nut holder 33 at the end of the control rod 34, and adaptedto hold. tvsfdnuts- 23 side loy sideandin'aligned position forcracking'hetweenfthe said pick-up jaws 6 and the crack ingijaws 8,; The opposite endofthiscon trol rod 3 L extends outwardlyto the .left side of the machine and is loosely connected to; the upper end of the nut Qholder lever 35 by means of a set screw 36 passed freely throughfaslot 37 formed through the endof the leverlfTh lower end ,ofjthis-lever is pivoted by the pin 38 to th e loase of the name ofthe machine, over the innerftace of theqfrontal master cam 17, and is thus adapted to oscillate laterally in a plane parallel to the plane "of said cam. The lower end of the lever 35 is formed ,with a cam or heel .39, extended inwardly and adapted tofhe'impingedby the holder cam 40 I so located on the inneror rear'face of the frontal master cam 17, thates the cam 17 rotates clockwise the ccam O will strike the heel 39,5L1ld so press the lever 35.,outwardly and withdraw tlienut. holder 33 from its sup-' porting position helowthe nuts 23, immediately after the rollers30, actingagainst thelevers 27, have operated the cracking jaws .8 and cracked the ,nuts 23. The cracked nuts fall into the chut 32,-.and the revolving cam {l0 simultaneously passes up over the heel 3.9 and so releases the lever V 35,; which lever thenreturnsito its original or inmost position through the actionlo f the retracti-lespring 4:1 distended between the respectively, and th nut; holder is also of course thereby returned top osition "below the jaws 6" and S. il'mmediately above the nut holder 33 and the contiguousendsof the I jaws 6 and 8, mounted the reciprocating nut delivering'shuttle le at the end: of its control rod 47, andadaptedjto receive two nuts'at atime fromthe nut feeding niecha nism employed andhold them in readiness i. for delivery into the nut holder 33'i1nxne' diatcly as the said not holder discharges the crackednuts already therein, in' n z'lnner described. The opposite end of this control rod i' extends out to the left side of the 7 machine, and is loosely connected to the upper end of the shuttlelever-i 8. byineans of a setscrew fl passed freely through a slot 50i'fthrough the end ofthe lever.- The lower end of this leveris pivoted by the pin 5i tothe'base ofithejirame, over'theinner 13b pins &2 and 43 'on the said lever'andffra ne .11

adapted. to. be impinged by the shuttl cenr orfrontal! face o f'therear muster cam 17, and is thus adapted to oscillate laterally in a plane parul'letto the plune of said cam. The lower end otthe levers? isiormed with cam-or heel 52 extended inwardly and 58- so located on the inner or :liorwa-rd face of thefrear master cam: 111?, that as the cam 17? IOi'zh-CGS'ClOClCW'lSG the coin 53-Wlll strike therhcel: 59,. and so pressthe lever 48 out;

'waifdly andwithdraw the shuttle from 'beneaththevnuts 23 immediately after the nut holder has been returned to. its positron bQIlGfl-lllliSiLlCl gawsfi and 8 after (lliw lchurging its. burden oiicracked; nuts in men 1161.".(lQSGl'lb8Cl, and so cause thenuts resting on the delivery shuttle 4:6 to fall into the nut holder 33 and reloadsame. Tlie'shuttle 46 is-then returned to. its inmost position, ready .to receive two more nuts from the feeding mechanisnr through the notion of a retnactile spring similar to the spring ll and: similarly mounted. between the frame and lever. Thus the operation of the crueking mechanism is continuous. "The shalt l is rotated by any suitable means.

i -A. suitable "feeding mechanism,will now be described in: combination with the crack ing mechanism. The right is reserved to file e separate application forpatcnt thereon. at a later date. iiltgtheqrear end of the shaftis rigidly mounted a, drive wheel 60 and the eccentric camlbl. Immediately above the saigil cccentriocam (31, supported upon the upright 2 isjheguide 62 sliding through the sleeve- 63. At the .upper end of said; guide 62 is pivotally mounted the gravity pawl 64: controlled by means of the weight (35 at its lower. end. The pawl (S-tl engages a series oi? saw teeth 66 around the lateral periphery of the ratchet wheel 67. The ratchet wheel. 67 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 68 supported by the bearing 69, the othenend oisaid; shaft cenrying the rigidly mounted sprocket wheel 70, which is provided upon its periphery with the transversely disposed sprockets 71. Over the said sprocket wheel 70 revolvesthe -feed belt 72-73, having the transversely cut apertures 74 ranged at suitable distances apart along said feed belt to exactly engage and cooperate with the sprockets 71 aforesaid. Said feed belt 72 -73 is supported at its forward end by the auxiliary pulley 75 mounted at the end'of the support 76, and medially by the auxiliary pulley 77 movably mounted at the upper end of the support 78 by means of the bolt 7 9 working through the slot 80. which arrangement said belt may be tightened or loosened-at will. The lower portion 73 of said feed belt TQ -T3 moves forwardly along the bottom of the funnel 81. The. chute '32 is mounted immediately under the forward portion of the feed belt 72-73, and the nut cracking meclr 73 of the feed, belt 72- 713 the lower side,

73 of said feed belt being propelled forward by the sprockets 71, which play into the apertures" 74: of seidalffiecd belt. As the nuts roll out: onto 'tlioilower side 73 feed belt 72-'7 they odzipt vthemselves to the apertures 74 and are thereby carried forward i to the nut cracking mechanism. Any surplusage of nuts tellhbu ck against the sprocket wheel "Z0 and: remain thereuntil of the they in turn are carried forward the belt. The resultant ottheyertical, reCipro eating notion of the pawl 6 upon the ratchets 66 of the ratchet wheel 67 is such as to impart an intermittent, rotary motion to said sprocket wheel '70, and alike inten mittent forward movement in the lower portion .73 of the belt 72 73, as suid, belt; carries then'uts for ard to the crackingmechunism. The purpose of this intermittent motion is that as the nuts n5 23,.reach a point immediately above the nut delivering shuttlefi, the belt 72-73 is-oaused to pause just long enough to allow this shuttle, which at this point sustainsthe nuts to be automatically withdrawn from below the nuts, through the operation: of the nut creole ing mechanism as described,andso -es to permit the nuts to fall into the nut holder wherein owning t0,;l3l16 shape 'ottsai-d holder, the said nuts dispose themselves with their; opposite ends in. alignmentwith the pickup ijsws' Ginnd the nut cracking jaws 8. Thenuts being so disposed in the holder 33, the shuttle 38' is automatically returned to its first position, while the nuts are thus held in place by the holder 33 for the purpose'oi being cracked. At the same time the belt 73 is moving forward and bring ing two additional nuts to rest upon the be cracked simultaneously It will be noted that the automatic action of the pick-up jaws is such as'to automatically adjust said mechanism to nuts of varying sizes; It will" jaws and ,mechanism against the cracking Mm-Mm i be notedjthat by turning the set screws 26 the stroke of the cracking jaws 8 may be readily'regulated. l I

While I have herein described certain specific elements and manner of constructing and assemhling the same for accomplishing the purpose of "my" invention, it will he understood that I am not houndto strickly observe this specific construction, but may vary from the same in minor details, not departing from the spirit ofniy invention so as best tocons truct'myj machine to meet all practical requirements. Iclaim: c"

'].In combination with feeding means, nut cracking machine, comprlsing oppositely disposed and horizontally aligned and-reciprocating pick-'up javvs and nut/"crackingjaws; a reciprocatmg nut receivingiand deli'verin' 'shuttleialoove the ad acent ends of D I l the jaws; a reciprocating nntholder be neath the ends oftheja'ws ;ineans for adjusting the pick-up jaivsrelative to the cracking jaws; meansfor moving the cracking aws relative to the pick-up aws; means for moving the nut receiving and delivering shuttle to drop the nuts into the nut holder;

and means for moving the; nut holder "to discharge the cracked nuts therefroml i' p 2. In combination WltlrSillilftblfiifidlng ymechanism, a nut cracking machine, 00111 prising oppositely disposed and horizontally alignedrec procating pick-up aws and nut crackingjaws; a reciprocatingnut receiving and delivering shuttle immediately over the "ad acent ends of the aWs;=a reciprocating nut holder immediately beneath the ends of the jaws; means for automatically adjust mg the pick-up aWs relat1ve to the cracking jaws, said means consisting of droj har s Vertically and slidingly mounted at the outer endsof' the pick-up jaws and so connected therewith as" to conver'tthe vertical reciproeating motion of the bars into horizontal reciprocating motion of said jaws, and rotating cams controlllng the lower ends of the drop bars to impart su table vertical reciprocate ing motion to the bars; means for moving" the cracking jaws relative. to the pick-up jaws, said means consisting oi cracking levers plvoted'immedlately below the crack 'ing jaws and, pivotally connected at their upper ends to said j aWs, and rotating camscontrolling the lower ends of the cracking levers tounove the cracking jaws; means for moving the nut receiving and delivering shuttle and thenutholder, said means con sisting of control rods extendedlaterally one "from the shuttle-and one from the'holder, verticallevers pivoted below the outer ends ofthe rods and pivotally connected there- With at theirnpper ends, androtating cams controllingthe lower iends'of said levers to produce the movements shuttle and holder.

3. In a nut cracking machine, a frame, a

shaft journaled insaid frame, cams on'said shaft, levers pivotally mounted in the frame and each adapted to have. one end opera tively engage one of the cams, a nut holder, a rod operatively connecting said nut holder and adapted to impart an oscillatory movement thereto, pic lnnp jaws movably mounted. in the frame, oblique plates controlling the movement of the pick-up j aWs, piclen'p levers 'mo'vably mounted-in the frame and operatively connected to the oblique plates, said levers being operatively engaged by the cam s, nut cracking jaws, levers operatively] connected at their upper extremities to the nut cracklng aws and controlled at their lower ends from the cams, and means for .i'eeding inits to the nut holder.

CHARLES B. EATON. V

Witnesses: V

Finn) SQHLEYER p WI LIAM J DONAHOE.

required in said ii 

